D'Amico Shipping B2 Lesson 3

Class

The importance of intonation

Exercise - intonation directions

Homework

Reading - Driverless Cars

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/sep/13/self-driving-cars-bmw-google-2020-driving

Discussion:

1. What is a backseat driver? What are his/her characteristics?
2. Do you think you would ever consider buying a driverless car?
3. If you were in a driverless car, what things would you be most concerned about?
4. Do you think you are a better driver than a computer would be?
5. Do you think driverless cars could be used on the roads along side regular  cars?
6. When a completely autonomous car causes an accident, do you think the owner of the car or the manufacturer should be held responsible? 
7. Who would you be more likely to buy a(n autonomous) car from: Google or BMW?

Now scan through the article and compare your views with the results of a recent survey on driverless cars. 

Vocabulary:

Where would you find the following on a car?

gear stick/shift, bumper, bodywork, steering wheel, brakes, windshield

Reading:

1. Has the article changed your mind about driverless cars? Why/Why not?
2. What is the main drawback for companies such as BMW and Mercedes?
3. What is the difference in approach between BMW and Google?
4. What is the main shortcoming of the Google bubble car?
5. What is the main difference in opinion between technology companies and car manufacturers regarding the potential of driverless cars? 

Style:

Find the following expressions in the text:

to move with the times, to take on a life of its own, to turn over in your mind/head

How does the author modify them to add humour and interest to the article? 

Going Further

1) For more notes on pronunciation in general and intonation in particular go to: 

http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/11442648/Pronunciation

2) Viewing/listening practice

• Acorn Antiques from The Victoria Wood Show 1982

In this spoof of a typical British soap opera, the actress makes a mistake with her intonation on the line:
"What is it? Muesli."
Why do the audience laugh?

• Namaste 

What does this sketch tell you about fast connected speech in English?

• The Conversation (1974) 

Although winning the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and being nominated for 3 Academy Awards, Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation was somewhat overshadowed by the director's other release that year - The Godfather Part II. However, The Conversation has endured as a bona fide classic and one of the best American films ever made. What's more, Coppola's slow burning thriller about a surveillance expert (Gene Hackman, giving one of his finest performances) who realises that his recordings may have murderous consequences, is even more relevant today as CCTV surveillance and internet privacy are once again causing considerable concern the world over. For students of English the film of particular interest as it highlights the importance of intonation. The film's mystery hinges on one line of recorded dialogue - and where the stress falls in the sentence.

"He'd kill us if he got the chance" turns out to be very different from "He'd kill us if he got the chance"as the lead character finds out too late.